012.44 Greece by Kostas Karanassios* <netmgr@grpatvx1.bitnet>
PATRASnet: An Academic & Research Internetwork in the region of Patras
PATRASnet stands for the Academic and Research Network in the region of Patras. It became operational in early November'91 and it is administered by the Network Support Team of the Computer Technology Institute (CTI). The core of PATRASnet is CTInet, the Local Area Network of CTI, which provides connectivity to national and international Academic and Research Networks for about 20 LANs (almost 1000 nodes spread around the Campus of the University of Patras as well as in the region of Patras).
Computer Technology Institute (CTI), is a non-profit academic and research organization which is devoted to research and development (R&D) in the field of Computer Science and Technology. CTI operates in close association with the University of Patras and in particular with the Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics. It also participates in joint projects with many other academic and research institutions around the world. CTI is supervised by the Ministry of National Education and Cults.
During the last 6 years, CTI has played a key role in the Academic and Research Networking in the region of Patras. In order to fullfil the high demands of users for networking facilities, it has established a highly heterogeneous (Ethernet based) Local Area Network (CTInet) which - for the time being - consists of about 200 nodes, using the TCP/IP protocol suite as the main internetworking solution. Other protocol families i.e. DECnet, AppleTalk, Novell SPX/IPX are also used to fullfil application and project oriented needs. CTInet is also connected to international academic and research networks such as EARN/BITNET and EUnet (UUCP) as well as to X.25 networks (the national Hellaspac and ARIADNEt/IXI which is the Greek Part of the COSINE project). That is why it stands for the communications service center of PATRASnet.
For the time being the regional LANs of PATRASnet are connected to CTInet via 9.6Kbps point-to-point serial links (either TCP/IP/SLIP or DECnet/DDCMP). Where possible (mainly due to performance limitations) TCP/IP is tunneled into the DECnet links. The main network services that PATRASnet currently provides are: remote login, file transfer, remote printing, electronic mail and news. Needless to say that a great effort has been devoted to: (a) the integration of these services as well as to the modification (where possible) of some services in order for local needs to be satisfied (mainly problems in communication that arise from the different Greek character sets). (b) the training of users in order to use efficiently any service provided.
>From the CTI's point of view, the main goal of the above activities is to make the academic and research community of Patras able to share valuable information and data worldwide and at the same time acquire: (a) Very good technical know-how in network building, integration of services in a highly heterogeneous environment, development of distributed applications where services cannot be provided adequatelly using commercial products. (b) Very good experience as a network service provider as well as disseminating any technical know-how aquired.
Future plans: (a) By the end of January 1992, two recently purchased Cisco multiprotocol routers (one AGS+ with 4 serial and 12 Ethernet ports and one IGS/R) and one Cabletron IRBM/MAAC, 12-port multimedia bridge, are going to support both the internal and external communications of CTInet and PATRASnet. (b) Having aquired official Class B Internet addresses (150.140.0.0) we expect connection to the Internet in early 1992 in order to provide official Internet services to our users. Our connection will be established through the ARIADNEt (X.25) network and then through the network of the FORTH Institute in Heraklio, Crete. (c) To provide network services of high quality, following recent trends and advances in computer communications services/technology while adhering to related de-facto and international standards.
*Network Manager, Computer Technology Institute (CTI), Patras, Greece
